Here’s a letter PETA President Ingrid Newkirk wrote today when she heard that long-time animal rights activist Gretchen Wyler passed away over the weekend:

With the passing of Gretchen Wyler, who lost her battle with cancer over Memorial Day weekend at her California home, animals and the people who care about them have lost a longstanding and true friend.

Wyler was known to many as a dazzling television actress and a star of Broadway musicals, such as Guys and Dolls, Damn Yankees, and Silk Stockings. But it was the work that she did for animals that meant the most to her. For more than 40 years—long before animal rights issues were bandied about by anyone other than philosophy scholars—she devoted herself to helping people understand that animals are complex beings who deserve our respect and protection. Her work ranged from the rebuilding of a decrepit animal shelter in New York State to testifying for a bill to ban cruel animal traps in California. After serving on the boards of several national animal protection organizations, she founded her own group and launched the Genesis Awards, which recognize the media’s vital role in exposing cruelty to animals. She also blazed trails in exposing the barbaric treatment of animals used in films and television. A showbiz insider who loved Hollywood, Wyler couldn’t bear to see intelligent chimpanzees treated as nothing more than stage props.

Gretchen Wyler and Moby

What these many accomplishments can’t convey, however, is Wyler’s incredible energy and commanding presence. When she walked into a room, every eye turned toward her. She filled her life with achievements, illustrating the formidable power of kindness and leaving a legacy of compassion for all beings that will influence generations to come.

Ingrid E. Newkirk